Unit International relations and global politics
- Course
- International relations
- Study-unit Code
- A001448
- Curriculum
- Migration, globalisation and world governance
- Teacher
- Silvia Bolgherini
- Teachers
-
- Silvia Bolgherini
- Hours
- 54 ore - Silvia Bolgherini
- CFU
- 9
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2022
- Offered
- 2022/23
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Politologico
- Academic discipline
- SPS/04
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- ENGLISH
- Contents
- The course consists of lectures and seminars. Lectures aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline. The main theories of International Relations and the debates related to them will be approached. Seminars aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions. In the seminarial part, using these theories' tools, the course explores some specific topics and key-issues of contemporary dynamics and discusses their theoretical and policy implications to understand the global political system and its development.
- Reference texts
- Joseph M. Grieco, G. John Ikenberry, Michael Mastanduno (2019, 2nd ed.) Introduction to International Relations: Perspectives, Connections, and Enduring Questions, MacMillan, London.
Assigned readings. It is essential to read the assigned texts for the session before coming to class, if/when such a class is scheduled. - Educational objectives
- To develop a general understanding of the concepts, theories, and methodological toolkits associated with the study of international politics; to know the main theories in international relations and to develop analytical skills to read, understand, and criticize the scholarly literature in these fields; to understand how the international political system interacts with the economic and institutional system; to make connections between theory and practice, past and present, expectations and reality; to develop a critical sense of how best to alternate between the various theoretical approaches; to apply what students have learned in class about IR theory to real international politics problems via class discussions.
- Prerequisites
- Basic Knowledge of Political Science
- Teaching methods
- Lectures are supplemented with seminars with invited experts. Readings on case studies and specific topics will be also provided. Through lectures and readings, discussions, individual and group exercises, this course intends to provide the conceptual tools and methodological skills that will enable the student to form her/his critical judgments about some topical issues in IR. Students are expected to play an active role in class and carefully study and prepare all class assignments.
An oral Presentation. Within the course, there will be sessions dedicated to oral presentations by students. These presentations will be devoted to themes and phenomena related to the topics developed during the course. The themes will be chosen by students in agreement with the lecturer.
A final Essay is expected by students at the end of the course. The essay should be about 5,000-6,000 words long in scholarly format, with an abstract, introduction, sub-sections, conclusions, and properly referenced bibliography. - Other information
- Should the Covid-19 health emergency impede frontal teaching, teaching will regularly continue online through the MS TEAMS platform, according to the indications of the University and the Department. Assessments and exams will be carried out following procedures that will be promptly notified to students.
- Learning verification modality
- Exams will assess the theoretical awareness about the main issues in contemporary international relations; the ability to debate them critically; and apply the explanatory strategies of the theories studied to empirical cases.